Here are two panoramas showing progress on the Powder Mill Road culvert. (Panoramas by John Wood)

]]>http://brucefreemanrailtrail.org/august-2017-progress-continues-powder-mill-road-culvert/feed/0August 2017 – Phase 2A Construction continues in Actonhttp://brucefreemanrailtrail.org/august-2017-phase-2a-construction-continues-acton/
http://brucefreemanrailtrail.org/august-2017-phase-2a-construction-continues-acton/#commentsSat, 05 Aug 2017 21:23:59 +0000http://brucefreemanrailtrail.org/?p=1701Construction in Acton progresses. These photos were taken in late July. We look forward to having Phase 2A open in a few months.

]]>Progress continues on the removal and replacement of the Powder Mill Road culvert. Powder Mill Road will be closed from July 10 to August 31, 2017.

From the Town of Concord:

CONCORD, MA — Contractor D.W. White Construction has confirmed that the existing Powder Mill Road culvert will be removed this summer, and replaced with a new culvert that is better (higher and wider) for bicyclists using the trail. Work in the area of the Powder Mill Road culvert will begin on July 3rd with the road closing to through-traffic on July 10th. Work is expected to be completed in late August, with the road re-opening before the start of the Concord Public School’s new school year. The Contractor has submitted a detour plan to MassDOT engineers and signs are being installed in advance of the road closure. MassDOT District 4 Engineers will be providing construction oversight of this project and is coordinating with Town agencies as needed.

]]>Come help us celebrate! On Friday, July 14th, 2017 at 1:00 PM, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation will join officials from the town of Concord and the Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail to celebrate a groundbreaking event for Phase 2C of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail project. The $7.2 million Phase 2C work involves construction of a 2.5 mile trail section from Commonwealth Avenue south to Powder Mill Road as part of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail project.

]]>Early in June, the Route 2A bridge was painted to look like natural stone. This photo shows the contrast between the “primed” rockface wall and a finished section. The primer coat turns the gray wall a pearly ivory color. The company doing the rockface painting (one stone at a time with 5 colors loaded in a spray system!!!) is Custom Rock International located in Minnesota. The technician who did this Acton work lives in Los Angeles!

A regional planning body on Thursday placed the project in the queue to receive $8 million in state and federal construction money in fiscal 2022.

The 4.6-mile walking and biking path would run north-to-south between Boston Post Road and the Concord town line. It is one piece of what advocates hope will one day be a 25-mile path connecting Lowell and Framingham.

This article appeared in the Friday, May 26th edition of the Sudbury Town Crier.

]]>The Friends have lost not only a dedicated member of the Friends’ Board but also a good friend to all of us. Alan was member of the FBFRT Board representing Carlisle since the creation of the Friends group. He represented Carlisle’s “866 feet” of the BFRT with enthusiasm and was The Essential Person for this volunteer role based on his experience in many areas of Carlisle town government and knowing so many citizens in the Town. We, along with Alan, were so proud of his being named Carlisle’s 2017 Most Honored Citizen Award in February of this year. As was said at that time, “Alan was a true icon of Carlisle.” We will miss Alan very much.

Alan with his grandson at Carlisle Old Home Day.

Alan at Summer Solstice Ride on the Assabet River Rail Trail with FBFRT board members Bob Hall and Barbara Pike

Alan at the Friends booth at Old Home day in Carlisle

Alan (far right back row) with Friends of Bruce Freeman Rail Trail at the Ribbon Cutting for Phase 1 in Chelmsford.

Gervais VW purchased the BFRT ROW just north of Industrial Ave (and Crosspoint) from PanAm Railways. Gervais wants to expand parking onto the ROW. There may be a way for the BFRT to exist side-by-side with the additional parking on Gervais land or the abutter on the west side of the ROW, AVCARB. Regardless in order to keep the ROW intact and the possibility of the BFRT connecting with the Concord River Greenway in Lowell we need rail trail supporters to attend the Conservation Commission meeting in Lowell.